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314 DICK SANDS, THE BOY CAPTAIN. thc first rays of the rîsîng sun. The summît of the ant-hill once removed, it would be quîte easy to clamber to the top, whence it was hopcd they would soon get away to some high ground out of reach of the flood. Uick was thc first to mount the summît ; but a cry of dismay burst from his lips ! A Sound only too well known to travellers în Africa broke upon his car; that sound was the whizzing o( arrows. Hardly a hundrcd yards away was a large encampment; whilst, in the water, quite close to the ant-hill where hc stood, he saw some long boats fuU of natives. From oœ of thcse had come the volley of arrows which had greeted his appcarance above the opcning of the cône. To tell his pcople what had happened was the work of a moment. Ile scized his gun, and made Hercules, Bat, and Actaeon takc theirs, and ail fircd simultaneously at thc nearest beat. Sevcral of the natives werc secn to fall ; but shouts of défiance were raised, and shots were fired in return. Résistance was manifcstly useless. What could they do against a hundrcd natives ? they were assailed on every hand. In accordance with what seemed a preconcerted plan, they were carried off from the ant-hill with brutal violence, in two parties, without the chance of a farewell Word or sign. Dick Sands saw that Mrs. Weldon, Jack, and Cousin Bcnedict were placed on board one boat, and were conveyed towards thc camp, whilst he himsclf, with the five negroes and old Nan, was forccd into anothcr, and taken in a différent direction. Twcnty natives formcd a body-guard around thcm, and five boats followcd in thcir rcar. Useless though it were, Uick and the negroes made one desperate attcmpt to maintain thcir frecdom ; they wounded scveral of thcir antagonists, and would doubtless hâve paid thcir lives as a penalty for thcir daring, if therc had net bccn spécial ordcrs givcn that they should be taken alive. The passage of the flood was soon accomplished. The boat had barcly touchcd thc shore, when Hercules with a